Being in Redondo Beach California, we are surrounded by beautiful weather. Our options are limitless on what outdoor activities there are. Tons of hiking trails, the beach is walking distance, and endless options to choose from. “Kei, I am so sore from paddleboarding yesterday. It was different from working out. Why is that?” This is what one of my clients asked the other day and I went on to explain the following.
First, the length of time you are doing the activity is longer. When I played basketball, its usually more than 3 hours. However, my workouts are usually no more than 1 hour. Ever tried working out for 3 hours? Try it and tell me how your body feels. The most I ever got sore was from the one and only marathon I will ever do (took me 6 and 1/2 hours to finish). My knees, back, and hips were hurting for 1 week.
Secondly, that activity may be something you don’t ordinarily do. Hence, you use muscles that you normally wouldn’t use. Skiing/snowboarding is one of those examples due to being seasonal. When I first snowboarded, my glutes and groin muscles were so sore that I couldn’t walk straight. This reminded me to incorporate more groin muscle-dominant exercises.
Ultimately, there are ways to acclimatize to an activity if you train accordingly. This is where you need to be dynamic by incorporating weight training, plyometrics, cardiovascular endurance training, flexibility, balance training, and core strengthening. So if you want to keep doing that outdoor activity without feeling overwhelmingly sore/tired, then train appropriately. Hope you enjoyed this week’s blog. Stay tuned for more next Wed………………Kei